For a Lyrical New Year: Poetry Prompt

This week, let's try to write a pure lyric poem.

Put your speaker in a specific moment and then describe the scene.

Focus on tangible details that, taken together, connect and make a whole

that goes beyond the parts. Resist the urge to describe everything.

Avoid adverbs.

Be particularly aware of the speaker's tone, and use it as a tool to convey

not just attitude but the point of the poem.

Concentrate on the language, and use one or more of the following:

assonance

consonance

slant rhyme

internal rhyme

syllabic count

Do you need more inspiration? Check out Pattiann Rogers, James Wright, Mary Oliver,

Jean Toomer, or Louise Bogan.